Slow Start to the 2012 Bird List!

Bird-wise the garden is still fairly quiet although I am really pleased that the flock of lesser redpolls are making daily visits to the silver birch seeds. I am pretty sure they are all lesser although any attempts to open the garage door to get up the garden to take a closer look results in their instant departure!

Other garden birds seen so far this year include blackbird (1st bird of 2012), house sparrow, wood pigeon, goldfinch, robin, dunnock, blue tit, feral pigeon, carrion crow,great tit and magpie.

Apart from the flowers you would normally expect to see in bloom in the garden now, such as winter-flowering heathers, violas, pansies, winter jasmine and primulas, the native primrose (Primula vulgaris) has also started flowering and there are a few blooms on red campion, chamomile and snapdragon.

I finally managed to get out in the countryside today and went a drive around the lanes near Coleshill, spotting several flocks of fieldfare feasting on berries. I stopped off at Shustoke Reservoir




Gosh it was cold and windy and, although it looks as though it was a lovely sunny day, clouds were already gathering on the horizon heralding the return of yet more torrential rain.

You can walk all round the reservoir but today I only had time for a short walk but did add black-headed gull, coot, mallard, tufted duck, mute swan and canada goose to the year list.



The birds are really too far away even with the 70-300mm telephoto lens on the camera.